HUDSON – This year’s Hudson Hawks have set school records, put up eye-popping numbers, and found success at every juncture.
The Hawks – 8-0 entering the playoffs – defeated teams by a combined 372-88 score en route to earning the No. 1 seed in the MIAA Division 6 tournament bracket. Undefeated in Mid-Wach-C play, Hudson has set the school record for points scored in a game (63) and featured stellar individual performances from the likes of quarterback Jake Attaway, who hit the 100-touchdown mark in the season’s first game and notched eight total touchdowns in an October win over Maynard.
The team has it all: flashy stats, superlatives, high-seeding, and 20 seniors.
But none of the success or record-setting would be possible without remaining humble and working hard, players said.
“Every week we look forward to the next week. After a win, we enjoy it that night, but the next morning, we know what our actual goal is. We all know that [Gillette Stadium] is the goal, but this week, our goal was to win [to get to] the Round of 8. Next week is our last game at Morgan Bowl, so we have to work hard. The work that we put in every single week is crazy. Everyone on this team has energy, and we all come to practice and we mess stuff up,” said senior Garrett Giorgio.
The Hawks’ laser-like focus was on full display Thursday night. The week-to-week focused squad zeroed in on East Bridgewater – the 16th ranked team in the Division 6 bracket – and soundly defeated the team in the opening round of the playoffs, advancing to the quarterfinals with a 45-15 win. The Hawks will play the winner of No. 8 Sandwich and No. 9 St. Mary’s next.
“I just saw a team that came out with high energy, great intensity. We were physical on both sides of the ball. We put up points early – and that was the goal. We wanted to get ahead early and make them try to play from behind,” second-year Hudson Head Coach Zac Attaway told the Community Advocate after the win.
The Vikings did indeed have to play from behind. A pass from Jake Attaway to Nolan Yates – followed almost immediately by an Attaway quarterback sneak – gave Hudson an early lead. Attaway’s 23-yard touchdown scramble, 39-yard touchdown pass to Yates, and 12-yard rushing touchdown made the score 28-0 by the end of the first quarter.
Giorgio would get involved with 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter, scoring a five-yard touchdown. A 44-yard run by Treson Meuse followed. Hudson led 45-0 at halftime, and the second half was played with a running clock.
With Division 1 Shrewsbury on the schedule to open the season, Hudson might’ve been considered an underdog by some. While the Hawks are now atop the rankings, the team hasn’t lost its scrappy attitude. Though a potential Super Bowl appearance looms, players – understanding they’ll get every opponent’s best effort – are remaining focused on the task at hand.
“You kind of have a target on your back. I think that motivates them during practice every week. The goal is to go 1-0 each week, so they’re taking it step-by-step. They’re not looking ahead, they’re not looking behind – they’re just working on getting better every week, and I think we’ve been doing that,” said Zac Attaway.
And while the Hawks are a humble bunch, one milestone simply couldn’t go unnoticed. Just before halftime, Jake Attaway completed a 45-yard pass to Giorgio that put the quarterback over the 10,000-career-yard mark. The amount of Massachusetts quarterbacks to reach that yardage is in the single digits, per the MetroWest Daily News.
How did Jake Attaway feel about the milestone? He, like other Hawks, chalked success up to old-fashioned hard work.
“It’s amazing. I didn’t know I was close to that yet, but it’s nice to know that all the hard work my teammates and I have put in is showing. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them – my receivers, my O-line. All those yards wouldn’t have happened without them,” he said. “We’ve been in the weight room … We’ve been on the field. It’s shown this season… And obviously, we take every rep at 110 percent.”
Zac Attaway, who doubles as Jake’s father, was happy about the milestone. But any celebration will be short-lived, he said. There’s more football to play.
“It’s a pretty cool accomplishment. I’m happy for him. Proud of him. He’ll enjoy it for 24 hours, and then we’ll be thinking of [the next game],” said Zac Attaway.
